Instead of Flowers
by netgirly2k
Summary: Jenny and Joyce may or may not be dating. Implied femslash.


Jenny smiled as a cup of coffee was placed next to her, the cup was white with the words 'Summers Art Gallery' painted on in flowing black script.

"You have your own mugs?"

"I have a very industrious assistant," Joyce said, hitching her hip onto the corner of the desk Jenny was sitting at, "any luck?"

"I think so," Jenny rolled her chair back to allow Joyce to look at the computer screen. "I've managed to recover all the data you lost and hopefully it shouldn't crash as often."

Joyce sighed in relief as she glanced at the spreadsheet on the screen, "Oh thank God, I was dreading re-doing the accounts. Listen, Ms. Calender-"

"Jenny," she interrupted, "I have students calling me Ms. Calender all day at school."

Joyce sympathised, she loved Buffy and Dawn more than her own life, but sometimes it was nice not to be 'Mom.'

"Jenny, I can't thank you enough for doing this. Normally I'd have asked Willow, but she and Buffy have been very secretive lately, probably some sixteen year old girl thing that I don't want to know about."

Jenny grin flickered for a second and Joyce wondered if she was remembering her own misguided youth, "that's probably it."

"Well, thank you again, my computing knowledge extends only as far as switching it off and switching it back on again."

"Hey, you'd be surprised how often that works," Jenny said kindly, "but you really should look into getting a more up to date system."

"It's not that old. Is it?"

"Joyce, when I first walked in here I wasn't sure if this was the computer or an exhibit."

"Hey," Joyce objected playfully, while conceding that Jenny had a point. She had inherited the computer from her ex-husbands business, it had been one of the few things that hadn't been worth squabbling over during the divorce. It was constantly freezing, crashing or erasing files.

"I should get another one but I don't know anything about computers. I suppose I'll have to get the girls or Willow to come with me."

"I'll go with you if you like, make sure that you don't buy a toaster," Jenny offered.

"Are you sure?" Joyce asked, taking a sip of her own coffee and wincing. Perhaps she'd have to buy another coffee maker to go with the new computer.

"Not a problem."

"Well, let me thank you somehow," Joyce squeezed Jenny's hand in gratitude, "I'll take you out for a cup of coffee."

Jenny grinned, took a sip from her cup and grimaced, "how about you take me out for a glass of wine?"

---

Joyce smudged her lipstick and ran her hand through her hair. Satisfied that her dress, hair and make-up were all fine she turned and headed down the stairs.

"Hey, Mom! I like the dress," Dawn offered from where she was lying on the couch eating chips.

"Thank you sweetie," Joyce replied, "and don't eat that entire bag of chips, you'll ruin your appetite."

"Are you going out?" Buffy asked, coming through the door and slamming it shut behind her.

"She's got a date with Ms. Calender," Dawn said, the eleven year old hopped off the couch and hugged Joyce briefly. "Have fun!" She cried as she bounded up the stairs.

Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at Joyce with an expression that was supposed to mean 'Kids!' Buffy grabbed the unfinished bag of chips and trotted up the stairs after her sister.

"I won't be late! Buffy, don't leave your sister alone in the house!" Joyce's calls were met with silence.

There was a knock at the front door and Joyce smoothed down the front of her dress before opening the door. Jenny was standing there wearing a short black leather jacket and carrying a black leather case.

"I brought you this," Jenny handed the case to Joyce, it was heavier than it looked. "It's a laptop, just to tide you over at the gallery until we get you a new system."

"Thank you," Joyce placed the laptop carefully on the table in the hallway, where hopefully it would be safe from Dawn's clumsiness and Buffy's...whatever it was that Buffy did that caused Joyce to keep having to replace the furniture.

"Not that I don't really appreciate this, but most people bring flowers," Joyce joked.

"Well I looked, but none of your neighbours had flowers in their yards."


End file.
